Protesters End Windsor Occupation

It’s time to move on, Occupy Windsor campers said Friday in announcing the protest tents outside city hall will be coming down this weekend.

After two months of sometimes sopping wet days, other times freezing cold nights, all filled with teach-ins, general assemblies and rallies, it’s time for the movement to enter a new phase, reporters were told. Occupy Windsor lasted longer than many of the similar encampments that sprouted up around the world, a number of which ended with baton-wielding riot police, clouds of tear gas and arrests.

“We came to the park in solidarity with others around the world to speak out against inequality,” said participant Paul Chislett.

As more and more energies became devoted to simply running the camp and helping the homeless and the hungry who gathered there, Chislett said he and fellow participants began questioning “whether the camp was still a political expression or had become a camp for homeless people.”

A deal was brokered with the assistance of social services and other municipal staff, as well as Windsor police, to help those campers in need ahead of the agreement to vacate Senator Croll park.

“We got your attention. Just ‘cos the tents are being taken away … we’re gonna go on,” said Neil Taggart. The camp protesters included everyone from youth without jobs and little in the way of local employment prospects to seniors whose pensions are far from guaranteed, he said.

“Where is their future? Where is my future? We are still going to be around,” said Taggart.

Protestor Terry Weymouth said an “Occupy Your Future” rally Dec. 17 outside city hall will help determine where the movement goes next.

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